Coming events, January 2022 | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Coming events, January 2022

Tuesday, Jan. 4 

Intro to Judaism Class 

Congregation Shalom will hold an introductory course on Tuesday evenings that will cover basic Judaism including history, theology, customs, ceremonies, festivals, holidays and beliefs. The class will be taught in three consecutive two-month units. Class presenters include Rabbi Noah Chertkoff, Rabbi Taylor Poslosky, and Director of Congregational Learning Brian Avner. Free for members. $50 book fee for non-members. Starts Jan. 4. 7:30-8:30 p.m. More info at 414-352-9288 or Cong-Shalom.org. 

Thursday, Jan. 6   

Orthodox/Reform Class   

Learn about the modern lessons from the Tanakh. Co-taught in alternating sessions by an Orthodox rabbi, Rabbi Hillel Brody of Yes Connections, and a Reform rabbi, Rabbi Shari Shamah of the Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC. The course will use stories from across the Jewish tradition to examine how they offer guidelines and modern-day lessons concerning women in Torah, sibling relationships, family sagas, work, interpersonal relationships and understanding ourselves. Thursdays. 10 a.m. Contact Reva Fox, JCC Arts & Culture Director, at 414-967-8212 or RFoxJCCMilwaukee.org. for more info. JCCMilwaukee.org. 

Monday, Jan 10 

Retirees2Gether! 

The Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC and the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Partnership2Gether are launching a unique Milwaukee-Israel program that connects retirees from Milwaukee and from the Sovev Kinneret in Israel. The program called Retirees2Gether will be led by Milwaukee Community Shaliach Uria Roth. Jan. 10. 12-1:15 p.m. RSVP to SusieR@MilwaukeeJewish.org to participate. 

The Twelve tribes 

Join a virtual discussion about the Twelve Tribes in the Torah. All educators and community members are invited to join the LOMED cohort to explore this topic. Jan. 10. 12 p.m. TziporahA@MIlwaukeeJewish.org.  

Wednesday, Jan. 12 

Shanghai Jewish museum 

The Jewish Museum Milwaukee will virtually join the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum which preserves the history of about 20,000 European Jews who fled to Shanghai to avoid persecution by the German Nazis. Explore historical artifacts and stories which focus on the Jews’ resilience and optimism under difficult circumstances as well as their friendship with the Chinese people, which shows warmth and strength of humanitarianism. Jan. 12. 7-8:00 p.m. Free for members. $10 for nonmembers. Accessible by Zoom meeting. Programs@JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org. 414-390-5730. JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org.  

Emotional intelligence for students 

Led by guest presenter Beverly Socher-Lerner of Makom Communities, participants will explore Jewish text as a platform for helping students grow their skills for emotional intelligence and empathy. Educators will learn to translate emotional intelligence into a spiritual practice or a way of connecting to something larger than themselves. Jan. 12. 7-8 p.m. Accessible by Zoom meeting. TziporahA@MilwaukeeJewish.org. 

Jan 15-16 

Teaching on Genocide Workshops 

This virtual two-day event will empower Wisconsin’s K-12 educators to teach on genocide and fulfill the mandates of Act 30, the new law passed by the Wisconsin legislature and Governor Evers in April 2021. It will offer participants the chance to hear presentations by top experts and acquire free book sets and other practical materials for teaching about genocide including five specific cases: the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Argentina and the Uyghurs in China. This professional development opportunity is sponsored and organized by the Area Studies Centers at University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC) and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Jan. 15 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and Jan. 16 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. More information at HolocaustCenterMilwaukee.org.  

Sunday, Jan. 16 

New adaption of “The Diary of Anne Frank” 

Tapestry Arts & Ideas at the Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC and the Milwaukee Entertainment Group present a new adaption of “The Diary of Anne Frank” for a new generation. Directed by Reva Fox for the Milwaukee Entertainment Group. Jan 16. 2:00 p.m. Brumder Mansion, 3046 W. Wisconsin Avenue. $20 for JCC members. $25 for community participants. Contact Reva Fox, JCC Arts & Culture Director, at 414-967-8212 or RFoxJCCMilwaukee.org. for more info. JCCMilwaukee.org. 

Inclusion teen training  

The Inclusion Teen Training program educates and supports 8th-12th graders who work with children and peers with disabilities. Teens will learn how to assist in settings like synagogues schools, Friendship Circle of Wisconsin, camps, and youth groups to create an inclusive environment. Hands-on, interactive workshops will be held throughout the school year. Teens will feel confident and equipped with tools to make a difference. Jan. 16. 4-6:00 p.m. Friendship Circle, 8649 N. Port Washington Road. Contact co-facilitators Jennifer Saber, MJF Kosher Inclusion Specialist, and Leah Stein, M.S. Sp.ED, co-director of Friendship Circle of Wisconsin, at JenniferS@MilwaukeeJewish.org or RLeahStein@gmail.com. Fcwi.org/itt 

Monday, Jan. 19  

Alexander Hamilton   

Join the Jewish Museum Milwaukee to learn from author Andrew Porwancher of the untold story of Alexander Hamilton’s likely Jewish birth and upbringing and its revolutionary consequences for understanding him and the nation he fought to create. For more than two centuries, his youth in the Caribbean has remained shrouded in mystery. Hamilton himself wanted it that way, and most biographers have assumed he had a Christian boyhood. With a detective’s persistence and a historian’s rigor, Porwancher upends that assumption and revolutionizes our understanding of an American icon. Jan. 19. 7-8:00 p.m. Accessible by Zoom meeting. Programs@JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org. 414-390-5730. JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org.  

Thursday, Jan. 20 

Taste & Tradition  

Join the Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC’s popular Tapestry series “Taste and Tradition” led by Chef Michael Solovey, Owner of Sage Harvest Cooking School. Chef Michael’s pedagogy implements approachable science to help his participants understand why different cooking techniques render a variety of results in the kitchen and develop individual culinary instincts. The Jan. 20 session will feature a Ukrainian Beetroot Borscht. Thursdays. 5:00 p.m. Prices vary. Key ingredients available for curbside pickup. JCCMilwaukee.org/Programs/Art-Ideas/  

Wednesday, Jan. 26 

Meeting learning needs 

Jennifer Saber, the Coalition for Jewish Learning’s Kesher Inclusion Specialist, will lead a class on how educators can meet the learning needs of many students in one class. Educators will learn and experience Jewish Placemaking, learn the theory behind it and reflect on the experience. Jan. 26. 1 p.m. Accessible by Zoom meeting. TziporahA@MilwaukeeJewish.org. 

Stereotypes in the Scrap Industry 

From the silent-film era onward, scrap dealers have shown up in films and TV shows like “Born Yesterday,” “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” “Sanford and Son,” and the DC Comics character “Ragman.” Jonathan Pollack, Honorary Fellow of the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies and the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will analyze if all scrap dealers in popular culture were Jewish, why they are laden with stereotypes and how to understand these portrayals in a more dynamic way. Jan. 26. 7-8 p.m. Accessible by Zoom meeting. Programs@JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org. 414-390-5730. JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org.  

Thursday, Jan. 27  

Holocaust Remembrance Day 

Learn about the critical work underway to bring the lessons of the Holocaust to classrooms and communities statewide following the recent signing of Wisconsin Act 30 mandating Holocaust education, slated to take effect in the 2022-23 school year. Featured speaker Samantha Abramson, Executive Director of the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC), will discuss why this history is more relevant than ever and share how HERC – through its innovative resources and educator trainings – is leading the way in impacting the lives of future generations of upstanders. Sponsored by the Polish Center of Wisconsin in partnership with the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center. Jan. 27. 6:30 p.m. More information at HolocaustCenterMilwaukee.org. 

Monday, Jan. 31 

LGBTQ Belonging  

Led by Jackie Maris of Keshet, teachers will learn how to create an LGBTQ-affirming environment for students, colleagues, and the school community at large. The Jan. 31 session will discuss LGBTQ terms and concepts, delve into LGBTQ youths’ experiences and examine cisnormativity and heteronormativity. A second session will follow. Jan. 31. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Accessible by Zoom meeting. TziporahA@MilwaukeeJewish.org. 

Tuesday, Feb. 1 

Jewish night at the Bucks 

The Jewish community is invited to celebrate Jewish heritage while cheering on the world champs, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Milwaukee Jewish Federation will host a pre-game party featuring a drink ticket, refreshments, games and a chance to win prizes. “Bucks in Six” Hebrew T-shirts are available to the entire community for $12 per T-shirt. Game attendance is not contingent for T-shirt purchase. Feb. 1. Pre-game at 5:00 p.m. Game at 6:30 p.m. Register for the pre-game, purchase T-shirts and purchase tickets at MilwaukeeJewish.org/Bucks. 

Flamenco Performance 

Thursday, Feb. 3 

Flamenco is a Spanish art form consisting of three parts: guitar playing (guitarra), song (cante), and dance (baile). The Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC’s Tapestry Arts & Ideas will explore the Jewish history and connections to this complex and beautiful art form. Featuring internationally acclaimed Flamenco artists Marija Temo and Kerensa DeMars. Feb. 3. 7:30 p.m. $18 for JCC members. $24 for community participants. Contact Reva Fox, JCC Arts & Culture Director, at 414-967-8212 or RFoxJCCMilwaukee.org. for more info. JCCMilwaukee.org.  

Sunday, Feb. 6 

The Holocaust and Basketball 

Hear the story of Ernie Grunfeld, who is the only player in NBA history whose parents survived the Holocaust, from son and author Dan Grunfeld of “By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, A Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream.” Feb. 6. 2:00 p.m. Virtual program. More information at HolocaustCenterMilwaukee.org. 

Tuesday, Feb. 8 

Author Brad Aronson  

The Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC’s Tapestry Arts & Ideas invites author Brad Aronson to talk about his book “HumanKind.” Aronson’s life changed in an instant when his wife was diagnosed with leukemia, and he started writing about the people who rescued his family from that dark time. HumanKind provides dozens of ways you can make a difference through the simplest words and deeds. Feb. 8. 7:30 p.m. Contact Reva Fox, JCC Arts & Culture Director, at 414-967-8212 or RFoxJCCMilwaukee.org. for more info. JCCMilwaukee.org. 

Wednesday, Feb. 9 

Japanese museum tour 

The Jewish Museum Milwaukee will virtually explore the Japanese American experience from the 1860s through the post-war era with an emphasis on the WWII incarceration experience. The program will be followed by a powerful testimony and Q&A time with a survivor of America’s Concentration Camps. Feb. 9. 12:00 p.m. Free for members. $10 for nonmembers. Accessible by Zoom meeting. Programs@JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org. 414-390-5730. JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org.  

The Story of Moses  

Join a virtual discussion about the story of Moses in the Torah. All educators and community members are invited to join the LOMED cohort to explore this famous Jew. Feb. 9. 12:00 p.m. TziporahA@MIlwaukeeJewish.org.  

Wednesday, Feb. 16 

Jewish Equity, Diversity 

Educators from local Jewish schools will discuss Jewish Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) in the classroom. Class will be co-taught by Kai Gardner-Mishlove of Jewish Community Relations Council and Tziporah Altman-Shafer of the Coalition for Jewish Learning. Feb. 16. 6:30 p.m. TziporahA@MIlwaukeeJewish.org.  

Thursday, Feb. 17 

Japanese Americans 

The Jewish Museum Milwaukee will unveil its newest exhibit “Then They Came For Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WII and the Demise of Civil Liberties” that examines the time when the American government scapegoated and imprisoned thousands of people of Japanese ancestry. The accounts in this multimedia exhibition will illustrate the impact this action had on those who experienced it firsthand and the lasting repercussions on the generations that followed. Exhibit to feature imagery by noted American photographers Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams, works by incarcerated Japanese American artist Toyo Miyatake and artifacts from the Chicago-based Japanese American Committee collection. Feb. 17. 7:00 p.m. More information at JewishMuseumMilwaukee.org